Ingrid Hoffman inspired me so much on Saturday that I promptly left the house after viewing her new program on the Food Network and picked up everything I would need to make the spicy Chipolte Tamale Pie. Unfortunately my local grocery store is Whole Foods so there isn’t a box of Jiffy Cornbread allowed within 500 feet of that place so I ended up purchasing the Arrowhead Mills Muffin and Cornbread mix, which I wasn’t really thrilled with. The batter was ridiculously runny when made to the package instructions, so much so in fact that I ended up adding additional mix to thicken it. I just wasn’t feeling “brave” enough to see if batter the consistency of water would bake adequately, especially with all of those peppers and lean ground turkey on the line. Ultimately, the dish turned out quite well, with the exception of a cracked top (once again I’m totally passing the buck here and blaming Arrowhead Mills) and also possibly the fact that I used a round deep cake-pan as opposed to a square dish. Pair this hearty pie with a Corona and you’ve got a quick and festive summer meal to feed your starving beach combing crew.

Peppers, Onions & Turkey	Add Spices, Chipolte and Beans; Simmer
Pat Firmly Into Baking Dish	Top With Cornbread Batter
Bake & Cool Slightly	Caliente!

The super tasty and figure friendly dish below has officially allowed Ellie Krieger to overthrow Giada as my favorite food network celebrity chef. Should the Patriots make it to the Super Bowl you might just see this awesome meatball sandwich on my coffee table — if you’re lucky enough to receive an invite to the party of course. Unfortunately If the Colts prevail on Sunday all bets are off…

In addition, the turkey meatballs actually serve as a “double duty” meal since I made them the night before via this recipe with a spicy tomato sauce and whole wheat pasta. I also sliced all of my peppers for the sandwiches while the sauce was cooking and placed them in a container until I was ready to make dinner the next day. Rachael Ray would be so proud of me for prepping ahead. I know this was an Ellie dish but it was probably the first time I ever truly succeeded in making an honest to goodness “30 Minute Meal” (that didn’t consist of tortellini and store bought Alfredo).

Fresh Baguette	Hollow Out
Tri-Colored Peppers Before	And After
Top With Mozzarella	Broil

Risotto is my second favorite dish to make (behind any kind of soup). What I love about risotto is that you can just toss in fun combinations of veggies, handfuls of grated cheese, and dinner is done (well after you stir it until your arm is ready to fall off, but personally I can use the upper body exercise). In this particular instance I used zucchini, summer squash, and mushrooms. My basic risotto recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Complete Pasta Cookbook but you could also use this one and vary the vegetables.

Slice, Dice & Chop	Gather
Pat Dry, Salt & Pepper	Saute the Onion in Olive Oil
Zucchini, Squash & Mushrooms	Arborio Rice & Wine
Add Stock Slowly	Stir, Stir, Stir, Stir, Stir…
Combine Garlic & Veggies	Season
Stir, Stir, Stir, Stir, Stir…	Set Aside
5 Minutes on Each Side	Add Veggies (Stir…)
Rest	CHEESE!
Stir (One Last Time)	Fall Risotto & Turkey Cutlets

My Food Network idols are Rachael and Giada respectively, but I also have a fond place in my heart for Ellie Krieger. Ellie creates nutritious and low calorie meals that seriously taste amazing. I’ve made many of the recipes she’s previewed on her new show and I vow to be first in line whenever she releases a cookbook. Last night’s dinner was Ellie’s Turkey Meatloaf:

Soak the Oats	Dice & Slice
Bell Peppers	Incidentals
Mix	Combine
Shape & Garnish	Bake @ 350 Degrees for 1 Hour

Not Your Momma’s Meatloaf